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    • Gaetz, Gabbard and Rubio on Trump’s list
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    Gaetz, Gabbard and Rubio on Trump’s list

    Umito Posted on

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    President-elect Donald Trump He’s still choosing his candidates for his second term in the White House – and making some surprising choices.

    Trump announced Wednesday that he had chosen Matt Gaetzthe firebrand who was a harsh critic of the Justice Department even while he was under investigation by it, as attorney general.

    He also brought in a former congresswoman and army veteran. Tulsi Gabbard as a candidate for director of national intelligence, a cabinet-level position. Gabbard is a former Democrat who has become one of Trump’s most vocal supporters.

    But Trump still has many key roles to fill as he prepares for a second term. He will even have total control of Congress in 2025, once the Republicans have managed to win enough seats to keep the house Wednesday.

    Stay up to date with live updates from the USA TODAY Network.

    Matt Gaetz resigned from Congress shortly after President-elect Donald Trump announced his intention to nominate the Florida Republican for attorney general.

    Gaetz, a firebrand who has represented Florida’s 1st Congressional District since 2017, submitted his resignation Wednesday, effective immediately, following Trump’s decision to name him the nation’s law enforcement chief.

    Gaetz’s resignation came just days before the House Ethics Committee was set to decide whether to release a report on its investigation into allegations that he engaged in sexual misconduct, drug use illicit and had accepted inappropriate gifts. Gaetz’s resignation effectively ends this investigation.

    Gaetz was also investigated by the Justice Department, which Trump asked him to lead, on suspicion of having sex with a 17-year-old girl and allegedly paying for her travel with him. The department completed its investigation last year without charging him.

    –Michael Collins

    Matt Gaetz’s nomination for attorney general draws criticism

    that of Donald Trump choice of Representative Matt Gaetz for Attorney General signaled a like-minded approach to overhauling the Justice Department after both men faced criminal investigation.

    But the pick also sparked some of the first criticism of Trump’s Cabinet picks, as senators questioned whether Gaetz would be a serious choice to become the nation’s top law enforcement official.

    After Trump announced the nomination of Gaetz, the Florida Republican resigned from his position “with immediate effect”, triggering a special election for the West Florida district.

    Check USA TODAY’s five takeaways of the surprising announcement.

    -Bart Jansen

    Trump picks Tulsi Gabbard as director of national intelligence

    On Wednesday, Trump chose Tulsi Gabbard, a former congresswoman and Army veteran, as his nominee for director of national intelligence, a cabinet-level position.

    “I know Tulsi will bring to our intelligence community the fearless spirit that has defined her illustrious career, defending our constitutional rights and securing peace through strength,” Trump said in a statement.

    Gabbard was a Democrat when she served in the Hawaii House of Representatives from 2013 to 2021. She ran for president in the Democratic primary in 2020 before leaving the party in 2022 and becoming a Republican this year.

    − Tom Vanden Brook and Erin Mansfield

    Marco Rubio named Secretary of State

    Donald Trump confirmed Wednesday that he has chosen Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., to serve as secretary of state in his next administration.

    Rubio has deep foreign policy experience and went from Trump opponent to close ally who was a finalist to become Trump’s vice president.

    He is currently the ranking Republican on the Senate Intelligence Committee and serves on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Rubio, a Cuban-American, would be the first Latino person to serve as secretary of state.

    Rubio has expressed support for Ukraine’s war effort against Russia, but voted against additional aid for the country last year. He recently declared that the war in Ukraine would end with “a negotiated settlement“, which Trump also supported. He also advocated a tough approach towards US adversaries like China, Russia, Iran, Cuba and Venezuela.

    Trump and Rubio, 53, clashed during the 2016 Republican primary, which turned sour when they hurled insults at each other. But they repaired relations and worked together on common foreign policy goals during the first Trump administration. They grew closer during the 2024 campaign, when Rubio was on the shortlist to be Trump’s running mate and campaigned tirelessly for him.

    − Riley Beggin and Zac Anderson

    Umito
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